Written by Nate Ryan
Austin Dillon shared some NASCAR history on the storied short circuit with the most well-known driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet during his playoff-winning triumph at Richmond Raceway.
Prior to Dillon’s victory Saturday night, the last driver from Richard Childress Racing to win back-to-back Cup races at the 0.75-mile circuit in Richmond, Virginia, was Dale Earnhardt, the late seven-time Cup Series champion who accumulated 76 victories in a career that was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Since the grandson of team owner Richard Childress was picked eleven years ago to drive the car number associated with a NASCAR star, Dillon has been plagued by Earnhardt comparisons and rumors of nepotism.
Dillon grinned and remarked, “They’ll say my grandpa gave me the ride if I win fifty races.” They’re not incorrect. Yes, he did. He did a fantastic job including me. At some point, hopefully, I’ll be repaying his investment.
Dillon claimed that ending a 37-race winless skid was one of the best since it was essentially a butt kicking, even though Richmond was just his sixth victory in 433 Cup starts. Including the last 49 laps, he led 107 of the 400 and easily defeated Alex Bowman by 2.471 seconds.
In all of his prior Cup victories, Dillon never held the lead for longer than 35 laps. Two turns from the checkered flag, he knocked Aric Almirola aside to win the 2018 Daytona 500, leading only the final lap.
His most contentious victory was at Richmond last year. On the last lap, Dillon destroyed Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano, and as a result, NASCAR disqualified him from the playoffs.
Just before his last pit stop on Saturday night, Dillon easily defeated 2023 Cup winner Ryan Blaney, so there was no drama.
Richard Boswell, Dillon’s crew chief, told anyone who believes Austin doesn’t deserve to be at this level to take a look at the 30 or 40 laps he ran alongside Ryan Blaney. He hurried with a Cup champion from door to door. He defeated him. Yes, we must run more efficiently. We must be more reliable. However, anyone who claims he simply cannot do it is not considering the facts.
Regarding Dillon’s odds of winning the championship, the numbers are less compelling.
Dillon, who is currently 25th in the points standings and in the Cup playoffs for the sixth time in 12 seasons, finished in the top five for the first time in 25 races this year in Richmond. With 22 victories throughout NASCAR’s top three national circuits, he has won titles in the Truck and Xfinity series.
According to Childress, Austin has earned his way. In every race he has ever driven, he has won. Because he is my grandchild, they will criticize you. However, we accept it. It’s simply the nature of things. You cannot let other people’s opinions weigh you down. Go ahead and do what you do. He has earned his part.
When RCR unsuccessfully appealed the NASCAR penalty that eliminated him from the playoffs last year, Dillon, 35, said he sobbed because he had genuinely passed Hamlin and Logano before a late caution erased a comfortable lead. Dillon’s conviction that he belongs in NASCAR’s top series was confirmed by the Richmond repeat.
“I believe I receive the recognition I am due,” he stated. I have a few devoted followers. We resemble fighters in certain ways. We don’t disappear. Many people, I believe, believe that guy will eventually disappear. I kind of enjoy that underdog attitude.
Boswell, who joined Richard Childress Racing after guiding Chase Briscoe to the 2024 playoffs, is another new partner he like. Just after Dillon passed Blaney for the lead with 59 laps go, Boswell made the crucial decision to pit.
Dillon remarked, “I have a great team right now, probably one of the strongest we’ve built.” Making this organization as strong as some of the best clubs is our goal. We scuttle around and find strategies to prevail. When we do it, I believe we enjoy ourselves.
Before the regular-season finale at Daytona International Speedway on August 23, Dillon became the fourteenth victory to secure a spot in the 16-driver playoff field. The final two provisional positions in the points standings are occupied by Tyler Reddick and Bowman, meaning at least one driver who has not won will be eligible for the playoffs.
After leading 41 laps, Reddick was poised to secure a postseason berth at Richmond; however, he ended 34th after being involved in an accident that began when Daniel Suarez collided with Ty Gibbs.
For us, it’s essentially the worst-case situation, Reddick stated. Daniel Suarez deserves our gratitude for that. became one of the slowest cars on the circuit after being one of the fastest.
In his No. 23 Toyota, Bubba Wallace, who is paired with Reddick at the 23XI Racing team, which is co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan, led a race-high 123 laps before losing a tire during a pit stop and finishing two laps behind in 28th place.
Chase Elliott, a teammate from Hendrick Motorsports, finished last, while William Byron secured the regular-season championship with a 12th-place finish. Byron will receive 15 playoff points, which will give him a healthy lead to qualify for the championship game at Phoenix Raceway for the third straight year.
“It’s enormous,” Byron remarked. There will be a really wild playoffs since no one is racing away with this. We seem to be in sync.
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